Game-board



(No Model.)

W. R. AUSTIN 81; W. N. GRAW.

GAME BOARD.

Nu. 565,954; Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

F t/g.l.

WITNESSES zit/2205s I UNITED STATES WILLIS R. AUSTIN AND WILLIAM N.GRAWV,

. CONNECTICUT.

PATENT OFFICE. I

OF SOUTH NORVVALK,

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,954, dated August18, 1896.

Application filed S ptember 27, 1895. Serial No- 563,839. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIs R.AUSTIN and WILLIAM N. CBAW, citizens ofthe United States, residing at South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfieldand State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Game Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

Our invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensivehouse game adapted for either two or four players and-in which successshall depend upon a combination of skill and chance.

With these ends in view we have devised the novel game which we will nowdescribe, referring by numbers to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of ournovel game, illustrating the manner in which it is played; and Fig. 2 isa section on the line a; a; in Fig. 1.

1 denotes abox,and2 acircularwallwithin the box, which is provided withopenings 4, and 3 a concave bottom, the edge of which is secured to thewall and which is provided with holes 5, forming pockets. The box, thewall, and the bottom are made of any light, inexpensive material,ordinarily of pasteboard. The holes in the bottom are placed in rows andat equal distances apart, nine being the number of holes ordinarily madein the bottom. The openings 4 are diagonally opposite to each other,"and at each opening is placed a block 6, which is provided with agroove 7 the front end of each groove leading into the open space withinthe wall and each groove having at its rear end a spring-arm .8, whichserves as a propelling device for balls 9. The

balls are of contrasting colors, six balls of each color beingordinarily furnished.

The game is to propel the balls from the groove into the open spacewithin the wall by means of the spring-arms and to place three balls ofthe same color in a row in the holes or pockets 5. The players play inturn, each using balls of one color. In case four play the game at thesame time, two play as partners against the other two. In starting, thefirst player places a ball in one of the grooves and propels it into thespace within the wall by means of the spring-arm. The ball willnaturally pass around the wall, quite likely anumber of times, dependingon the force with which it is propelled, and will finally roll downtoward the center of the bottom. If it stops in one of the holes, it isallowed to remain; if not, it is removed. The players play in turn, eachplayer shooting but once at each turn. As soon as either player hassucceeded in placing three balls of his color in a row the game is won.In the present instance, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the game has been wonby the player using the darkcolored balls. Should the balls assume suchpositions relatively to each other in the holes that neither player cancomplete a row, neither player wins, and the game must be played over.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- The herein-described gameapparatus comprising a box inclosing a circular wall having two openings4 opposite each other, and an unobstructed concave bottom having aseries of straight rows of retaining-pockets near the center, atangentially arranged block outside of each opening l andhaving agrooved upper surface, a fiat spring-arm S at the rear end of each blockand projecting above the surface thereof, and a series of balls ofcontrasting colors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIS R. AUSTIN. WILLIAM N. CRAW.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM S. WILoox, RIoIIARp H. GOLDEN.

